The Lost Smile
by Izzu
Summary: Kamen Rider 555. In the end, he was left to wonder about the meaning of the last smile. Probable conclusion on end of episode 50.


az: Made as a tribute to Yuji but I wonder if the point of this piece went offshot elsewhere. And because the ending kinda left hanging concerning Yuji, I just felt about writing this.

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Disclaimers: Being here just because.

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The Lost Smile

Written by honou-no-izumi alias izzu

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Kikuchi Keitaro had always been a good person as well as a good friend. Regardless of whomever he met, if they asked him for help; he would definitely lent a hand. Takumi and Mari-chan would certainly chastise him about this but he did not care. It had always been his dream to be able to help everyone, making the world a brighter place to live in; regardless how small his deeds could be. It just bothered him if anyone had been in any sort of trouble. He could not help it to have the desire to want to help out.

That was why when he had noticed Takumi being a bit off lately, he could not help to be a bit concerned...

"Taku-kun... is there something wrong? You've not been yourself lately, did you have a problem?" Keitaro asked as Takumi who had been staring at his bowl of kitsune soba, looked up blankly at him.

"Ah? Oh... it's nothing. You don't need to worry about me." Takumi replied as he went back to staring at his soba.

Keitaro frowned.

"No... there is something wrong! Was it the soba? Was it still so hot? Here... let me blow it for you—" he stammered as Mari quickly slapped his hands.

"No need. The soba should have become cold now... see, you can't see much steam anymore out of it!"

"But Taku-kun—!"

Mari turned to look at Takumi as she also noticed his faraway look. She cocked her head at him.

"Takumi? Something wrong?" she asked as Takumi shook his head. That did not bode well to her as she continued to frown.

"Is it—Are you... still thinking about... Kiba-san?" she asked again as Takumi instantly reacted to her.

"Ah? No... it's not—"

"Mari-chan, why so sudden—it's already been days—"

"I'm right, am I not? Don't try to avoid my question!"

Takumi glared at her before frowning.

"It's not that, for god sakes! It has nothing to do with that!" exclaimed Takumi suddenly as he quickly chomped down on his soba. Keitaro looked at him, concerned as he sighed. Mari went back to eating as he hesitantly slurped down his soba.

It was not that long for the time to pass by as Takumi suddenly slammed his bowl on the table and walked out on them. Keitaro rose in alarm as he called out towards him.

By the time he managed to reach the outside of the shophouse, Takumi had already disappeared from view.

xxx

Takumi sauntered slowly as he headed towards the higher point of the secluded hill he was at right now. As he almost reaching the clearing, he sighed softly.

"Ah... I never knew you liked going to places like this..." spoke another voice from behind him as Takumi jumped. He turned around immediately as he heaved a sigh of relief.

"Oh... it's you, Mari. What are you doing... sneaking up from behind me?" he asked irritably.

"Well, you wouldn't answer anyway whenever we asked so I figured I might as well just follow you to see where you were going. I kept losing your trail every other day but today I got lucky. So what are you doing arou—!"

Mari gasped suddenly as both of them stopped walking at a corner of the hill. She bit her lips nervously as she saw the markers placed on the ground.

"Kiba... san?" she gasped as she turned towards Takumi. Takumi gave a shrug.

"Aah... yeah. That day, after you guys had left... I gathered most of Kiba's ashes and buried it here. I couldn't stand it if he just died and disappeared without any trace. So I did just that, I suppose..."

Mari nodded in understanding as she reached out to hold his hand. It was then that she noticed another marker beside Kiba's as she gave a cry.

"Takumi! Over there... was that, Osada-san?"

Takumi nodded as he explained.

"It happened on that day she and Keitaro were supposed to go out together... I guess I hadn't had the heart to tell Keitaro the truth about what had happened to her. And Kiba had disappeared since then so I just acted by myself. Despite that, I hadn't been the one who had placed the markers on Osada's or Kiba's grave. I used to think that maybe... it had been Kiba who had arranged to place a marker for Osada but since he's dead now, I wondered who placed the marker for him."

"Why did you think so? That Kiba-san..."

"Hadn't you remembered? Despite the fact that both of them were not related to each other, Osada and Kiba were as close as if they were real siblings. And look over there, Mari... on the markers, it was also stated the day when they had been born. When they used to still be humans..."

Mari took another look as she now noticed the writings on the markers. She sighed.

"I guess... there was someone else who knew about this place and placed the markers without you knowing. Either that being Kiba-san... or anyone else. Was that the reason why you have been troubled lately?"

Takumi shook his head.

"No, this wasn't the reason. Yet this was also part of the thing that had been bothering me."

Mari looked at him in confusion.

"I don't... understand you—"

Takumi bit his lips.

"I still... could not decipher the meaning of Kiba's smile. That last smile, the one that he showed to us before he died..."

xxx

_Takumi deactivated__ the Faiz Gear as he turned around, looking back towards the cloud of dust behind him. He sighed as he heard everyone running towards him. He was about to look away as Mari suddenly gave a loud gasp._

"_What... Mari?" he asked, turning towards her before noticing her pointing her hand to the direction behind him. Takumi turned and cried aloud as Yuji slowly staggered out of the cloud of dust._

"_Kiba!" cried Takumi as he and Mari ran towards him. _

"_Idiot! What did you think you're doing? I really thought you've died!" he exclaimed as Takumi grabbed Yuji's arm. Mari reached his side as well, as she absentmindedly held Yuji's other hand._

"_Kiba-san, I—"_

"_Inui-kun... it's up to you now—" said Yuji as he smiled at him._

_Takumi frowned._

"_Eh... you—!"_

_Before he could think of anything, Yuji's body slowly started to crumble as the blue flames once again engulfed his body. Takumi collapsed to his knees as Yuji's body completely turned into dust..._

xxx

"In the end, I hadn't been able to figure out what he's thinking anyway. What's that with that last smile? Was it really okay that he died? I can't understand him... that guy! Wasn't he the one that wanted to live so much?"

Mari looked up towards Takumi as he tried his best to remain calm. She sighed as she glanced back towards the two grave markers before them.

"That guy... since that day, I wondered what had really happened to him. Could it be that it's because of what happened to Osada-san that he became like that? I thought, after everything was settled... perhaps both of us could finally talk things out. But I guess... that time would never come." said Takumi again as Mari reached a hand out and held his hand.

"You missed him, isn't it?"

Takumi glanced at her.

"Don't you?"

Mari snickered as she let go of his hand before kneeling over the grave markers.

"Kiba-san... must have been a kind person as well when he used to be human. It would have been nice if we could get to know him earlier..." said Mari as she started brushing the dried leaves from Yuji's marker.

"This Kiba-san who was such a kind person—" she said again as she glanced back towards Takumi. "—would not have wanted you to be depressed over his passing, would he? After all, he sacrificed himself in order for you to defeat the Orphenoch King."

Takumi laughed suddenly.

"Of course! You saying it like that making me feel even less heroic than that dead guy over there." exclaimed Takumi as he took a long look at the markers.

_Honestly, there's no way I could hate this guy..._

xxx

"Oi! Keitaro!"

The young man perked up as he glanced outside the house, having noticed both Takumi and Mari walking towards him.

"Get yourself decent, we're going visiting!"

"Eh?"

Keitaro gasped as Takumi shrugged.

"My mistake for forgetting to buy flowers when visiting someone. So since it's on the way, might as well take you along. You don't want to?"

Keitaro blinked before shaking his head wildly. "No... of course not—" he said before staring back at him. "Eh, Taku-kun? You're not depressed any more?"

Takumi grinned.

"Not any more. I guess I'm better off appreciating life as it is rather than figuring out the meaning over someone's smile..." answered Takumi cryptic as Mari smiled in amusement.

Slightly confused, Keitaro shrugged off the retort as he went and close the shop for the day...

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az: I intended to try to tie up another loose end about Yuji but decided to scrap that off for another shot. If I ever go to that part.


End file.
